Can I make sex link chicks?

[opihiman911]

I currently have a mixed flock. I haven't let any of my eggs hatch even though I have had broody hens trying. I was wondering if I could make sex link chicks with my flock.

I currently have a 4 RIR hens and 2 production red hens. I also have both hens and roos of barred rocks, austrolorps & delawares. They are all pure bred except the production red I'm not sure what they are as I bought them at the county fair and was just told they are production reds. All the other came from individual breeders.

I'm planning on thinning some of my roos this spring and want to know which to get rid of.
If I understand right I should keep a delaware roo and if I cross it with my RIR, production red & barred rocks they will be sex linked. I got that info at feathersite: http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/CGP/Sex-links/BRKSexLink.html

If I understand it right I can use the Delaware roo as the dominant white and cross it with any other red or black hen? I wish I had kept a RIR roo, but I have found them to be to agressive to be around my little kids.

If I make sex link chicks will they breed true in future hatches? Meaning is I keep both a hen and roo sex link will they continue to make sex link chicks? Or is it that hybrid thing like seeds and will they be infertile or not true?

Does anyone out there have more info or websites for sex links?

If I can't make sex links, which roos would you keep? The goal being hens that are prolific layers of large/x-large brown eggs that can tolerate heat and humidity (I live in Hawaii). Friendly docile birds are a plus as my kids, 3 & 8, care and collect the eggs and they like to play with their chickens. Thats why I got austrolorps, my 3 years old loves her "pretty" austrolorp roo, it will sit on her lap and completely cover her up.

Thanks for your help,

Cory

 

[silkiechicken]

No sexlink will breed true as a sexlink as characteristics that appear only in the F1 generation. Have to keep parent strains. Unlike plants though, they will be just fertile mutts like any other cross. As for breeds, I don't know much other than what the site you posted talked about.

 

[Kev]

Actually no, for a sex linked mating, you need HENS with the sex linked trait while the rooster does not.

So you need to do something such as Black rooster(Australorp in your case) on barred hens, male chicks will be barred & females will be solid black for example.

Barred rock rooster on any hen will give barred offspring in both sexes, so that won't work in giving sex linked chicks.

Delawares are not dominant white, they are actually columbian with silver and sex linked barring. So using Delaware rooster will not work for sex linked hens, however if you have Delaware hens, can try using Australorp rooster over them. The boys will have barring.

Sex linked matings do not breed true, as in being able to sex the chicks for generations onwards.. they are an "one time thing" only, absolutely have to have hens with sex linked genes bred with roosters lacking the sex linked gene. This pairing works because only the males get the sex linked trait from the mothers while the daughters don't..

It sounds like you would like "autosexing", which is a breed or line that "pure breeds" for the sexable traits. Some examples are the "bar" breeds in Europe such as Legbar, Welbar etc. I don't know if any of them are in USA, and some California Grays(a leghorn) may be autosexing- the roosters are extremely pale, often almost all white with bits of color here and there and the hens are cuckoo colored. It's a combination of several traits, not sure what all of them are, seems there is sex linked barring and mottle involved and probably other genes. They are not very popular as backyard pets generally because many of them are considered "ugly".

 

[kmakani]

Are you the same opihiman that has Jackson chameleons too?

 

[Buster]

Crossing a buff, red, BBR, black, or blue rooster with a barred/cuckoo hen will give a sexlink where the males hatch out black with the white spot on the head and the females will be solid black at hatching.

Red roosters on Delawares make a sex-link too.​